Avid looks to oust Adobe and Apple with free editing software

The editing field has been dominated by Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X for years now. However, the price-tag can be enough to put some filmmakers on low budgets off.

Avid is trying to tap into this market of students and aspiring professionals with the introduction of a free version of Media Composer to try.

Marketed as the tool that your favourite filmmakers use, the streamlined version, Media Composer First, aims to introduce a new audience to their software by offering many of the same tools and benefits as the professional version.

But, while the temptation of free kit could be enough to sway you, it depends on what you need your editing software to do and what you want to do with it.

Obviously, given that the software is free, there are going to be some limits of what you can do.

For example, Avid claims that, in Media Composer First, project formats can produce output up to 1080p while the professional version carries up to 4K. Input footage at 4K is compatible but depending on your kit, it might not offer the final product you want.

The software also offers four video tracks and eight audio tracks in comparison to 24 and 64, respectively, in the full version.

These features would suit filmmakers working on smaller scale projects that do not require 4K formats.

However, for aspiring videographers, this free software could be just what you need. Avid claims it offers tools to fix problems like shaky camera footage and bad lighting alongside audio and sound effect mixing.

The highly competitive field of editing software means that videographers have plenty of choice, with DaVinci Resolve another contender alongside Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X. But, it’s all about finding the software to suit what you need.